Chamber welcomes 'common sense approach ' as US eases travel restrictions

The US government 's decision to ease travel restrictions for overseas passengers opens up “exciting opportunities ” for Greater Birmingham firms who want to participate in transatlantic trade, business leaders said today.

From November, travellers from the UK, EU and other nations will be allowed to fly into the US if they are fully vaccinated and undergo testing and contact tracing.

US restrictions were initially imposed on travellers from China in early 2020, and then extended to other countries.

The current rules bar entry to most non-US citizens who have been in the UK and a number of other European countries, as well as China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil, within the last 14 days.

Under the new rules, foreign travellers will need to demonstrate proof of vaccination before flying, obtain a negative Covid-19 test result within three days of travelling, and provide their contact information.

They will not be required to quarantine.

Officials said there would be some exceptions to the new policy, including for children who are not eligible to be vaccinated.

The new rules do not apply to land borders, meaning that restrictions continue to apply to cross-border travel with Canada and Mexico.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce - which promotes trade between the UK and US via the Transatlantic Chamber - has welcomed the “common sense ” approach.

The Chamber 's international director, Mandy Haque, who is also vice-president of the British American Business Council, said: “This is fantastic news for businesses on both sides of the water - trade and travel are cornerstones of the special relationship the UK has cultivated with the USA for centuries.

“With the vaccine rollout continuing at pace across the country, we are pleased the administration in the US has used a common-sense approach to restart international travel between the two nations.

“This will provide a huge boost to our travel industry that has been decimated by the pandemic and will open up exciting opportunities for local firms that are looking to develop ties with their transatlantic counterparts. ”

Click here to find out more about the work of the Greater Birmingham Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce.